Archives for July 2018

A typical 12 foot piece of vinyl siding will expand over 5/8″ from winter to summer and will contract when winter rolls around again. While siding can be installed at any time of the year, the ideal temperature to install is 50 degrees F. Installing at other temperatures is simply cutting the siding a bit longer or shorter depending on the weather being colder or warmer than 50 degrees F.

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow, also know as water, from draining off the roof. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas. This is common in the spring.

What damage does it cause?

When an ice dam gets big enough, melted water backs up behind it and seeps underneath the shingles. Eventually, it will drip into the insulation and down into the ceilings and exterior walls beneath the eave, ruining sheetrock and paint. If the ice dam breaks free, it can pull shingles and gutters off with it, and it will damage anything it falls on: shrubs, windowsills, cars, pets, and people. If the roof sheathing stays wet, it can form mildew and start to rot.

Prevention

You can scrape snow from the roof whenever it falls, using a snow rake from below or a broom or plastic shovel from above. BE CAREFUL: The first method can bury you in snow, while the second can send you slipping off the roof. Hire someone who knows how to use a safety line.

You can replace your shingle roof with standing seam or other metal roof. Or you can replace the bottom three feet or so of your shingle roof with a wide metal drip edge. Whatever you do, install a water-repellant membrane under any new roofing.

NOTE: If your roof is not very steep, an ice dam can still form on metal roofing and drip edges.

When one’s home is damaged in a storm they are eligible to make an insurance claim. It is highly suggested to have a contractor assess the damage before the home owner calls their insurance for an inspection. This way the home owner has someone to represent them and to make sure that all of the damage is seen by the insurance agent.

Every insurance has a time line for the work to be completed. Each insurance and policy is different. This time line starts at different times for every insurance. Some timelines start at the date of loss, other’s are when the first check is issued. The expiration date could be up to two years from the date of loss or as short as six months from the last issued check. It is important for all home owner’s to know their policy time line.

NexGen has worked with insurance companies to repair thousands of homes and buildings after damaging storms that include hail, wind, and other damage. Whether you own a single-family or multifamily home, or commercial or industrial building, our focus is to make the insurance and restoration process straightforward and stress-free for you.

Wind

Can cause the shingle to flip up and crease resulting in a broken seal.

Hail

Causes bruising to shingles, dents, cracking and holes to siding, chips in decks and broken windows.